Skip to content
The Archive of The Carrboro Citizen
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Community
  • Schools
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • Mill
  • Flora
  • Print Archive
  • About
Menu

OWASA’s Jordan Lake plan draws concerns

Posted on March 10, 2011March 10, 2011 by Staff

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

CARRBORO — Its planners say the Orange Water and Sewer Authority’s decision to formally seek its Jordan Lake water allocation is a common-sense move. But for some, the move represents a significant departure from current policy.

OWASA recently won approval from town boards in Hillsborough and Chapel Hill, but ran into trouble in Carrboro last week when the board of aldermen refused to sign off on OWASA’s use of Jordan Lake water, citing concerns about the quality of the lake’s water and disagreeing with OWASA that it is needed at all.

Ed Holland, OWASA’s engineer in charge of long-range planning, said that the utility already has the ability to draw from the lake in case of an emergency via its connection with Durham, which draws its Jordan Lake water through the Town of Cary’s intake.

The state periodically reviews the allocations for Jordan Lake and launched the most recent review in January 2010. Holland said OWASA is working with the consortium of Jordan Lake partners to update its information and make its case for the use of the water. Otherwise, he said, the state could reduce or eliminate the 5-million-gallons-per-day allocation.

Holland said the utility, which has dealt with two extreme droughts in the past decade, wants to change is official status with the state to ensure an allocation in the event levels get low again. Cary, which has been willing to sell OWASA water in the past, might not always be in a position to do so, Holland said.

“This would allow us to get what we need without the withdraw being charged to Cary or Durham’s allocation,” he said.

But former OWASA board Chair Mark Marcoplos said he’s worried about the Jordan Lake efforts, not just because he shares concerns over the quality of the water but because interlinking the area’s water supplies, an effort being pushed throughout the state, comes at a cost.

“It’s a slippery slope. Right now we have local control over about 95 percent of our water supply,” Marcoplos said in a recent interview. “Slowly and surely, we could lose control of our water future. We could lose control of rates, we could lose control over water quality.”

Marcoplos said he’s concerned that OWASA is reversing a long-term strategy without seeking extensive public input.

“We need an independent and resilient water supply,” he said.

County Manager Frank Clifton said he sees the logic in asking for the allocation, especially if by not doing so it could be taken away.

“We have an interest in Jordan Lake, long term,” he said. Having an allocation, he said, means the county can provide input on issues around the lake, including water quality. “If we don’t have an allocation, we could lose our seat at the table.”

Clifton said the county is mainly interested in the additional water as a possible source for economic development along the I-40 and I-85 corridors. Since the county doesn’t operate its own water utility, it would likely transfer its share of the allocation to water systems in Mebane and Hillsborough, he said.

Carrboro Board of Aldermen member Dan Coleman said he’s concerned that the community’s historical tilt toward conservation and tight control over water supply and the watershed is threatened by the influx of Jordan Lake water. He said in the event of an extreme emergency, water can still be drawn from Cary’s intake through Durham, but that otherwise “we don’t need to drink that water.”

Coleman said the social compact that created a locally controlled water supply shouldn’t be undone. With the recent strides in conservation and OWASA slated to assume additional capacity once the American Stone Quarry shuts down in 2030, Coleman said he believes the locally controlled strategy should be sufficient.

“Given the quality and extent of the water resources we’ve created here in southern Orange County,” Coleman said, “I think we can and should live within our means.”

He said there are strong feelings on the board about keeping a local, sustainable system.

Holland said since the water and sewer boundary agreement requires agreement from all local governments, he’s not yet sure how Carrboro’s decision not to authorize OWASA’s requested change will affect immediate plans.

“Clearly, that’s something that has to be worked out,” he said.

Web Archive

© 2025 The Archive of The Carrboro Citizen | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme